Al Taqar
Compiled by Mohammed Abdul-Muqaddim bin Khalil bin Abdul-Hewa al-Madena al-Rashib in the autumn of 01 SF, for the perusal of Her Excellency the Sulatana of Al Madena. Not to be removed from Her Excellency's library. The city of Al Taqar sits just over three weeks' journey by foot (under two weeks on camel-back) to the east of Al Madena. = Geography = Appraching the city from the south-west, you may likely run into the domain of the Sand Worm. The approach from the west or north-west seems safer. The north of the city is protected by verdant jungle, which is likely maintained by the magic of Shenlong, ruler of Al Taqar. A number of farms sit directly to the south of the Al Taqar. The city is well laid-out in a typical pre-cataclysm style, in many ways reminiscent of Al Madena. The Dragon God-King's palace, done out in traditional Golden Empire style, sits in the north of the city. To the north of this, outside the city walls, sits the God-King's garden - an overgrown jungle in which a number of exotic birds, animals and plants can be found. = Defences = The city of Al Taqar seems to have survived the cataclysm mostly intact. The city's walls seem to be well-maintained, and are guarded at all entrances. While the city guard do not seem to be exceptionally well-trained or -equipped, they may well be supplemented by a rumoured Scale Guard, a secret police and enforcement unit. Unfortunately, we did not set eyes on this Guard while we were in the city. While Al Taqar appears to have no standing army, its ruler presents a clear and present threat to the stability of the region. His magic and size make him match for an army by himself. The presence of a strong well or water table here (see below) suggests that a siege of the city, should it be required, would be counter-productive. = Trade and Industry = Shenlong appears to care for his people, with state-appointed taxation and food banks for the poor. The main crops of the area appear to be rice and oranges. The presence of rice here indicates that the city also has ready access to a plentiful supply of water. The city of Al Taqar also has a number of livestock, including horses and camels. Until the arrival of our party, dates were unknown, and were greeted as a delicacy by the populace. Time will tell if they continue to be treated as a luxury once they become more common through trade. While trade is not necessarily conducted through government organisations, all activities within the city take place under the blessing of Shenlong. It is important to maintain cordial relations with the ruler of the city, as his power is absolute and dictatorial. = People = The people of Al Taqar seem to be healthy and well-fed. During our stay there we saw representatives of all five races. While the live under the all-seeing eye of Shenlong, they are still enthusiastic about their business. While they publicly acknowledge their love for the Dragon God-King, the people of Al Taqar appear to fear him more than they admire him. Should Shenlong's power be neutralised, I suspect that Al Taqar would rapidly fall to rioting. = Shenlong = The self-styled Dragon God-King appears as a massive dragon, truly a marvel to behold. It is clear that his image to his people is one of a number of tactics with which he keep absolute power over the city. Shenlong is vain, impetuous, cruel, and short-sighted, but is also all-powerful within Al Taqar. He is an impressively powerful fire-mage, and the rumours that he eats those who disagree with him cannot be discounted. His network of secret police, the Scale Guard, are feared by the populace, and during our stay there we were unable to ascertain their exact reach - however, we were unable to make anyone speak out against Shenlong, even in relative privacy, suggesting that the Scale Guard are well distributed amongst the people. The exact power of Shenlong is unknown, but if his confidence is well-founded, Al Madena must consider Al Taqar to be a potential powerful enemy, given the vagaries of the Dragon God-King's mood. Indeed, the stability of Shenlong is something that should be closely monitored, as a descent into megalomania could spell the rapid deterioration of Al Madena-Al Taqar relationships, and even descent into war. The people of Al Taqar constantly and obsessively suffix his name with titles and blessings: "may he live for a thousand years", "may his children be ever-fruitful", and so forth. Such customs should set travellers in good stead with the locals. Shenlong has also been heard to be able to take upon the form of a human. During one such instance he tried to purchase himself a new pet of the avian variety, but found he was unable to find one. Presumably the populace did not recognise him in this form, however it is certain that he is able to transform. = Contacts = Guild of Merchants * Hassan, representative for foreign trade. Category:World Reference Category:Locations